Urban Gardens Have Hidden Benefits

Ithas long been assumed that cultivating food leads to a loss of biodiversity and negative impacts on an ecosystem. But a new study published in Ecology Letters found that urban gardens are beneficial for biodiversity and good for humans. Researchers at multiple universities, including The University of Texas at Austin, rebut this assumption, showing that community gardens and urban farms positively affect biodiversity, local ecosystems and the well-being of humans that work in them. The study evaluated 28 urban community gardens across California over five years and quantified biodiversity in plant and animal life, as well as ecosystem functions such as pollination, carbon sequestration, food production, pest control and human well-being.

“We wanted to determine if there were any tradeoffs in terms of biodiversity or impacts on ecosys- tem function,” says Shalene Jha, an associate professor of integrative biology and lead author of the paper. “What we found is that these gardens, which are providing tremendous nutritional resources and increasing well-being for gardeners, are also supporting incredibly high levels of plant and animal biodiversity. It’s a win-win.”

Previous assumptions by scientists about the negative effect of food produc- tion on biodiversity have been almost entirely based on intensive rural agriculture enterprises that tend to grow only one or two types of crops on a commercial scale. Urban community gardens, private gardens and urban farms and orchards tend to grow more types of plants in smaller areas. The new study is the first to explore the effects of urban gardens across a wide range of biodiversity measures and ecological services. It also found that the choices that gardeners make can have a large impact on their local ecosystem. Planting trees outside crop beds could increase carbon sequestration without limiting pollinators or decreasing food production from too much shade and mulching only within crop beds could help improve soil carbon services while avoiding negative effects on pest control and pollinators.

Summer Season Festivals via DART

Manyof our best local events are easily accessible using the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART] System.

Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade and Festival: The giant party on March 11 (dallasstpp.com) is a beloved tradition that typically draws more than 100,000 revelers and 100 floats. With little in the way of parking, take DART. The parade travels south along Greenville from Blackwell Street to SMU Boulevard. To get there: DART Red, Blue or Orange line to SMU/Mockingbird Station.

Irving St. Patrick’s Run: One of the Irving Marathon’s most popular running events takes place on scenic routes through Las Colinas and surrounding areas on March 18 (IrvingMarathon.com). There are distances for all fitness levels. The races begin and end at the Toyota Music Factory. Walkers are welcome at this fun and festive event. Be sure to wear a green outfit. To get there: walkable from Irving Convention Center Station on the Green Line.

Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival: Downtown Fort Worth comes alive with nine blocks of food, music and incredible art from April 20 to 23 (MainStreetArtsFest.org). The event features 200 local and national artists. The full weekend of fun happens between Weatherford and 9th streets. To get there: walkable from Fort Worth Central Station on the Trinity Railway Express.

EarthxExpo: At this free, family-friendly festival from April 21 to 23 (Earthx.com), hundreds of exhibitors gather at Fair Park to celebrate Earth Day and show how green lifestyle choices can lower our cost of living, create a healthier environment and improve our health. There are food trucks, an electric vehicle and alternative fuel showcase, recycling and composting demonstrations, and much more. To get there: Fair Park, accessible by the Green Line Fair Park Station.

Wildflower Arts and Music Festival: The festival from May 19 through 21 (WildflowerFestival.com) is where fun flourishes with a bouquet of musical acts; a profusion of exhibitors and vendors; an art guitar auction; street performers, acrobats and magicians; craft beer and wine gardens; a kids’ zone; and much more. To get there: Red Line to Galatyn Park Station. The festival takes place in Galatyn Park Urban Center, as well as inside the Eisemann Center.

Taste Addison: A food lover’s paradise, this family-friendly event on June 2 and 3 (TasteAddisonTexas.com) features scores of restaurants tempting festivalgoers with reduced prices, chef demonstrations, wine tastings and more. There is live music, plus various other special performances. To get there: Addison Circle Park, a short walk from Addison Transit Center.

Dallas Pride: The weekend of fun on June 3 and 4 (DallasPride.org), honoring the LGBTQ+ community on Saturday with the Dallas Pride Music Festival, a family-friendly event with musical and dance performances on two stages, plus more than 200 vendors. Following the festival is the Dallas Pride Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade on Sunday from the Fair Park Coliseum to the Hall of State with floats, costumes and performers. To get there: Fair Park Station on the Green Line.

For more information, visit DARTable.dart.org. See ad, page 46.

Luv UR Health Launches

New technologies will be showcased at the Fourth Changing Life & Destiny Conference being staged in Plano on April 28 through 30. On Friday, up to 30 Masterclass Workshops will be offered by world-renowned master experts on topics such as The Common Denominator of Disease, How to Recharge Your Cells, Lymphatic Drainage vs. Detox, and Identifying and Remediating Mold Toxins in Your Home.

Friday night, the Luv UR Health Movement will be officially launched at the blacktie dinner, with campaigns that will engage society. On Saturday and Sunday, up to 130 technologies, products, and programs will be showcased in the exhibit hall for attendees to explore and experience.

Health and wellness professionals and practitioners are invited to attend the conference to decide which of these amazing technologies would fit into their practice and business to benefit their patients and clients. Health-conscious consumers are invited to see what treatments and solutions they need for their own health journey.

A post-COVID society needs to start thinking differently about health, and people are actively searching for alternative solutions. The traditional approach of seeing a doctor once a year for a 10-minute visit, a blood test and a suggested drug is outdated and reactive. The importance of becoming proactive with health in order to address health imbalances before disease conditions set in is clear, but our healthcare system has yet to evolve to a preventative model.

While more people are beginning to see the importance of prevention and taking control of health, many do not actually put it on their to-do list. Many people say family, pets, cars and homes are their most important priorities are in life—health is too often down the list, but without our health, we cannot love—and with very poor health, life becomes more expensive. However, with the advancement of cutting-edge health technologies, society can become proactive as opposed to reactive, and more people can access life-changing modalities.

Example of these technologies include a device that can help improve lymphatic drainage for healthy immune function, a blood test that can determine the likelihood of a heart attack in the next 12 months, a simple gadget that will pinpoint the likelihood of mold in a home or office, and a natural supplement that can increase the body’s stem cell production.

Not enough people know about these technologies and how to access them. That is why a movement with the focus of getting people to understand how they can love their health is being launched. As part of the movement, clinicians are invited to become Top Technology HPs (health practitioners), which identifies them as a practitioner that is leveraging the latest and greatest technologies in their protocols to help people restore health, prevent disease and promote wellness. Health-conscious consumers will be able to better access these practitioners and their programs via the movement.

For registration and more information, call 323-786-7400 or visit ChangeLifeDestiny.com.